The constant increase in tariffs for housing and communal services, including for water supply, makes paying bills for many tenants and owners of residential real estate an unbearable burden. Consumption volumes regulated by regulatory documents do not reflect the actual consumption of cold and hot water and other resources, and are calculated with overestimation of indicators. As a result, you have to overpay a significant amount every month. Installing a water meter will allow you to control its consumption, avoid unreasonable expenses and save part of the budget. In addition, a legislative act adopted on July 1, 2013 provides for the presence of this device without fail.
You can entrust the installation of a water metering device to specialists in this field or do it yourself. Too specific skills and knowledge are not required for such work, the main thing is to correctly connect it to the water supply network.
Legal nuances
Legislative acts do not prohibit the installation of a water meter by the homeowners, so it is quite possible to install it yourself without resorting to the help of a management company.
However, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- With self-installation of water meters, the responsibility for damages in the event of a pipe break will fall on the owners of the apartment, so it is important to correctly perform all technological operations.
- To carry out the work, it will be necessary to temporarily cut off the water supply in the entire riser, which must be agreed upon in advance.
- A meter to control water consumption should be purchased from companies licensed to trade in such equipment.
- During the purchase, they check the availability of a certificate of conformity and a technical passport, in which the dates of issue and the next inspection, as well as the warranty period, must be correctly marked.
When buying and installing a water metering device on your own, it is advisable to find out in advance a list of models that are suitable for their characteristics and are approved for use by the management company. Then the meters, together with technical passports, are handed over for verification to the instrumentation service of the water utility, as well as to a private company that has a license, or a city institution.
Features of installation and maintenance
When installing a device with which water consumption is metered, it is necessary:
- make the mounting location available for regular data capture;
- exclude the possibility of connecting between the meter and the riser of taps and any plumbing fixtures that allow unauthorized use of cold or hot water;
- provide the possibility of dismantling, necessary for regular verification of the meter in order to verify its correct functioning.
The temperature in the room of the apartment where the device is supposed to be installed should not be lower than +5 ° C, and in some regions it is required to install a check valve to prevent fraud with the equipment.
The final step, which guarantees the correct readings of the meter, is its sealing. This procedure is performed by one of the representatives of the management company.
Accessories and tools
To install a device that takes into account the flow of water, you will need:
Stopcock
With its help, they block pipes and prevent flooding of the apartment, so it is advisable to choose durable, reliable and high-quality fittings. The best option is ball valves made of brass or other durable metal. The handle can be lever type or in the form of a "butterfly". The choice of a particular design is made in accordance with one's own preferences.
Advice! Ball valves can only be in one of two positions: open or closed.If it is required to partially limit the water supply, then valve-type fittings are installed.
Coarse filter
The simplest model is a short section of pipe with an oblique outlet, where there is a grid to trap large particles of debris. Such a filter protects the meter from contamination and prevents it from breaking, but requires regular cleaning. To prevent suspended particles from entering the pipeline, the part for trapping them is placed with a sump down. More complex models are equipped with a pressure gauge and have a self-cleaning function.
Mechanical filters can be straight or oblique. The former are installed in horizontal pipelines, while the latter are installed in both horizontal and vertical pipelines.
Advice! To simplify installation, you can also use stopcocks that are already equipped with a coarse filter.
Metering devices
The most popular counter is mechanical. It is simple in design and maintenance, reliable and durable.
Mechanical meters differ in purpose and marking color: with blue they are used to account for cold water, and with red for hot water. You can also purchase a universal model with a gray cover.
In order for the meter to correctly show the actual water consumption, you should purchase certified devices and compare the number on the product with the data indicated in the technical passport when purchasing.
check valve
Prevents the reverse flow of water through the pipeline. The valve can be either a separate part or built into the meter. In this case, the scheme of its installation is simplified.
In addition to accessories, fasteners and other parts for mounting a device that takes into account water consumption, you will need:
- standard set of wrenches or adjustable wrench;
- scissors for cutting metal-plastic pipes;
- Bulgarian;
- gas key;
- threading tools.
To ensure tightness, a sealant is required, which can be used as tow, fum-tape or linen.
Mounting technology
Before proceeding with the installation of cold and hot water meters, you must read all the attached descriptions and instructions. Then the parts are laid out in one line, according to the installation scheme.
The arrows on each element, indicating the movement of flow through the pipeline, must be directed in one direction
Installation of a device designed to account for water consumption is carried out in several stages.
Dry connection
It is necessary to count the number of turns and is performed as follows:
- carefully wind the filter onto the stopcock, noticing on which of the turns the part is located with the sump down;
- the connection is disassembled and the selected sealant is wound around the filter thread so as to close the groove with it;
- spread paste on tow or linen and twist the filter, making sure that the connecting knot does not burst.
Advice! Do not replace plumbing paste with silicone sealant, as it can warp when it dries.
Assembly of parts
Typically, meters are equipped with branch pipes with union nuts designed for connection to pipes, and rings made of rubber or paronite. Assembly is performed as follows:
- with the help of a sealant and paste, a pipe is screwed onto the filter;
- attach the counter using one of the gaskets;
- fasten the check valve with the second branch pipe;
- the structure obtained as a result of these actions is attached to the water flow meter through the sealing gasket.
In this case, the stopcock handle and the filter sump should be located on top, and the counter should be placed with the impeller down and the dial up.
Advice! When installing a water meter on your own, damage to the instrumentation seal should be avoided, since in this case the device data will not be recognized as valid.
Pipe tie-in
To replace the stopcock, you first need to turn off the water supply not only in the apartment, but in the entire riser. It is impossible to do this on your own, so you will have to contact the management company and call its representative. Then you need to do the following:
- measure the length of the structure;
- set aside this value towards the internal network, measuring from the junction of the old faucet with the main pipe;
- cut off part of the pipe and unscrew the old tap;
- connect the structure to the main pipe.
Advice! If the old tap cannot be unscrewed, then it will have to be carefully cut off, and then a new thread should be cut on the remaining section of the pipe.
Difficulties may arise when connecting the structure of the water meter and other parts to the internal pipeline. If metal pipes were used for its installation, then before threading, you will need to accurately calculate the length of the section. In this case, it is advisable to dismantle the internal pipeline or part of it, and replace the metal pipes with propylene or metal-plastic ones.
Checking system functionality
It is carried out upon completion of installation work, for which it is necessary:
- turn on the water supply;
- open the faucet slowly, watching for a leak.
If no leakage is observed and the water meter counts correctly, then they contact the management company and call its representative. At the agreed time, he must carefully inspect all connections, check the operation, seal the meter and then make a mandatory note in the technical passport. Sometimes the filter is also subjected to sealing.
To check the water meter, it is regularly handed over to one of the special institutions: for cold - every 4 years, and for hot - after 6 years.
